1,000 attend services for slain Riverside officer

RIVERSIDE – Officer Michael Crain loved being a policeman and was proud to serve his country, but nothing in his life was more important than his family.

That was the message Wednesday as law enforcement officials from San Francisco to Indio joined family and friends in mourning the death of the 34-year-old Riverside Police Department officer who authorities believe was killed in an ambush by former Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner.

About 1,000 people, including Gov. Jerry Brown and state Attorney General Kamala Harris, gathered at the Grove Community Church in Riverside to honor the fallen officer.

An honor guard of hundreds of police cars, SUVs and motorcycles formed a procession from the mortuary to the church, crossing beneath a flag hoisted by two fire trucks, then on to the burial at Riverside National Cemetery. Along the route, local families waved flags and held signs of support for the Crain family and law enforcement. As an honor guard escorted the flag-draped casket into the church, row after row of men and women representing police and sheriff's departments as well as state and federal agencies stood straight in dress uniforms of dark blue, green and brown.

"I knew a lot of people loved Mike," his wife Regina told the crowd. "But I really did not realize the sheer scope of this and how many people were touched by his life. It gives me great comfort to see that."

Officers in attendance described the brotherhood of law enforcement and their desire to pay respect. Lt. Forest Meadows of the Indio Police Department said Crain's death felt senseless, even in a profession where any hour on duty can bring danger. He said he hoped the large number of officers in attendance would show Crain's family that they will not be alone.

"The law enforcement community is always going to be there for them," he said.

Sgt. Rudy Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department said more than 100 people from his department attended to show solidarity.

"At any time, it could be one of us," he said.

A selfless life

Crain grew up in the Riverside area and attended Redlands High School.

During high school, Crain was a creature of habit at lunchtime, ordering a hamburger, cherry Pepsi and chocolate doughnuts every day. Negroni's girlfriend began joining the boys at lunch, though she never had money or food of her own. Crain had made it clear he didn't like her, but he began offering Negroni an extra $1.50 each day to pay for her food. Around the same time, the chocolate doughnuts disappeared from Crain's plate, and he claimed he was trying to eat healthier to improve his football game. Finally, Negroni and the girl broke up. Crain began ordering chocolate doughnuts again.

"Only then did I realize for about a year and a half, he sacrificed his precious chocolate doughnuts so someone he couldn't stand could have something to eat," Negroni said. "I'd never seen someone do something so selfless and thankless."

After a year of attending college classes, Crain found a calling to serve others in the Marines.

"He was made to do that job," Frazer said.

There, he learned tactical and leadership skills that translated to his service in the Riverside Police Department.

His brother Jason described the officer's courage, honor and willingness to sacrifice throughout his life.

"My challenge is to all of you, if you accept it, is be like Mike."

Crain became a police officer after two tours to Kuwait and an honorable discharge, and over the course of his 11-year career served as a member of the SWAT team, a firearms instructor, a helicopter observer and a field-training officer.

Retired Riverside detective Steve Pounds took the Marine on his first ride-along with Riverside police after he applied to the force. In the patrol car, the younger man asked question after question and punctuated his sentences with "sir."

"He wanted to know it all," Pounds said. "He was laser-fixed on every word. He was absolutely fascinated by everything police."

Riverside police Chief Sergio Diaz said Crain was admired by other officers for his skill on the job as well as his character. He spoke from the stage to Crain's children, 10-year-old Ian and 4-year-old Kaitlyn: "Your dad was a tough guy," he said. "Because he was tough, he knew he could be kind and gentle."

A family man

Surrounded by family members on the stage, Regina Crain called her marriage almost too good to be true.

"Every day got better," she said.

When she couldn't attend a Mommy-and-Me ballet class with their daughter, her husband signed up. When their son began baseball, Crain showed the same devotion.

"Mike never played a day of baseball in his life," she said. "But he learned. And he made sure he could coach Ian's team."

The family stayed busy, but on Sunday mornings, they always made time for a home-cooked breakfast of bacon, eggs and hash browns, Crain's favorite. She laughed remembering how much he loved food, and her early struggles in cooking perfectly brown potatoes.

"That's what I'm going to miss," she said. "It's just our daily ... that was our bonding time."

Crain is survived by wife Regina; children Ian and Kaitlyn; parents Stephen and Cynthia; brother Jason; and sister Leslie.

The Riverside County District Attorney's Office on Monday charged Christopher Dorner with Crain's murder. Special circumstances of killing an on-duty peace officer and discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle would make Dorner eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

Dorner also faces three counts of attempted murder after authorities said he shot and wounded Crain's partner as well as two Los Angeles police officers in a separate incident in Corona.